Tuesday, February 28, 2006

The civil non-war

DemoRATS and their propaganda arm aka the MSM are obsessed with the civil non-war in Iraq. They have been talking about it since the first Gulf War as a pretext for not going into Iraq in ’91. They use it as a strawman for how ill prepared we were for post war Iraq.

Now stop and think about that one for a minute. The civil non-war, which has been predicted by the RATS since they learned how to spell Iraq, is used as proof that the Bush administration failed to plan for post war Iraq. Quite amazing that the RATS can get away with using an event that refuses to occur, no matter how much they hope for and talk about it, as proof positive that Bush is an idiot.

Seems to me that if an event so widely and continuously predicted fails to materialize that is an indication of planning not an absences of it. I for one have noted on this page before that a civil war and the division of the country is not necessarily a bad thing - as long as the divisions are not permitted to act as host nations for terrorists. But I’m not openly rooting for that outcome like RATS and the MSM who would then use the occurrence to once again bludgeon the President of the United States, as if he were the real enemy.

But, sadly for the RATS and the MSM, that scenario once again does not appear to be playing itself out. After looking into the abyss, Sunnis have decided that a political solution may be preferable to a civil war they are sure to loose and have ended their boycott of talks to form a national unity government. Large peaceful Sunni and Shiite demonstrations for peace and unity failed to generate the headlines of bomb going off in a shopping area from a craven MSM but are none the less encouraging.

I think the time to start worrying about a civil war in Iraq is when the RATS and MSM start saying there is little possibility of one.

Monday, February 27, 2006

By American standards, it's not much of a Civil War

You can win a bar bet every now and then by saying, “I’ll bet you a quarter that you cannot name the war in which the most Americas were killed.” Invariably, the dupe will blurt out WWII (~405,000). Wrong! WWI (~116,000)? Wrong! Vietnam (~58,000)? Wrong!

There were more Americans killed, most put the figure at 620,000, but some say over 700,000 combined Union and Confederate battle and non-battle deaths, during the American Civil War than in all of America’s other great struggles combined before and since. Now that’s a Civil War. What’s going on in Iraq by comparison looks more like a Crips/Bloods turf war in LA.

Who gains by a civil war in Iraq? The Shiites, as a majority, can wield power peacefully through politics. The Kurds occupy the most stable and prosperous area of Iraq. The Sunni know that they will lose a civil war. So who does a civil war benefit? The terrorists, the Iranians, the Syrians - that’s who and no doubt that’s who fomenting the violence.

Lex has noted here before that worst thing that could happen in Iraq is NOT that it is divided along peaceful democratic Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni lines in some loose confederation. The worst thing that can happen in Iraq is that remains unified as a hostile terrorist state. Winston Churchill drew the lines that make up today’s Iraq without regard for tribal, political of cultural concerns. Maybe it’s time for Iraqis to redraw those lines with tribal, political, and cultural considerations in mind. Or maybe they’ll tire of outside agitation, unite against it and decide that they’ll all just get along.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Eureka! They found it!

Someone in South Dakota found it. You could almost hear their shouts all the way over here when they yelled, “Hey! Guys! Look at this!”

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

“Where did you find that?” asked one of the newly informed. “It’s right here in the Tenth Amendment of our Constitution” the finder replies. “How long has it been there?” “Well let’s see, the first ten amendments were ratified right along with the Constitution, so I guess from the beginning.” “I’ll be danged. It was there all along.”

Now South Dakota is exerting its new found Constitutional power by rolling back their abortion laws. The NARAL crowd no doubt is up in arms because elected and thereby accountable representatives of the people are treading where heretofore only appointed and unaccountable judges have dared to venture. Odd isn’t it that this crowd, who claim to speak for the vast majority of Americans, is most fearful of the will of the people as expressed by their elected officials.

This is a great test for the new Supreme Court. Will they return to the States that which belongs to the States or continue the pattern of allowing five unelected unaccountable dopes in robes decide the fate of the nation?

Thursday, February 23, 2006

"Portro" Vs. Petrodollars

I suppose that Bush and others arguing for the port deal are right. The boys at http://powerlineblog.com/archives/013223.php get it about right when they note the facts about the UAE port management deal. What is not addressed is the fact some portion of our “Portrodollars” in this deal are sure to end up back at the Maddrasses raising the very Islamo-Terror-Fascists we are battling.

If, like Lex, you think that America funds both side of the terror war with our reliance on foreign – Arab - oil, how is reliance on foreign –Arab - port operators any different? Some of whatever we pay the UAE in this port deal will be returned to us in the form of an IED somewhere.

So yeah, I’m a racist Islamophob. But unlike hypocrite DemoRATS sniffing out a political advantage on this issue, I’ve always said we should be profiling Middle Eastern men, companies and countries.

There should be no deals with Arab/Muslim governments until they step up by cracking down on lunatics who kill people over a tasteless cartoon of Mohammed chowing down on a ham hock. There should be no deals for the UAE until that government finds a voice to openly, loudly, consistently and in no uncertain terms condemn such ignorant buffoons – no a buffoon is generally harmless – these ignorant terrorists. There should be no deals for the UAE until it condemns a Maddrass system that raises terrorists by requiring students to spend so much time corrupting their own religion that they don’t know how to turn on a computer or for that matter, know much about anything else since the 8th century - except that if someone has the temerity to think differently than they do, that person should have his head hacked off.

Bush could get a two-fer here. Boot the UAE then turn the port operation over to Halliburton in a no-bid contract. Were he to do that, having booted the UAE per their demand, DemoRATS across the country would have to have their belts and shoelaces removed and be placed on a 24/7 suicide watch.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

RATS smoked out on profiling

One of the good things about getting the DemoRATS on board with blocking the UAE port deal is that it smokes them out on racial profiling. While conservatives like, Lex, remain consistent when calling call the UAE port deal insane because “those” people want to blow us up, DemoRATS have to resort to their usual hypocrisy to make that case.

DemoRATS get their shorts all tied up in a knot when a bearded swarthy skinned man from Yemen with wires protruding from his shoes is pulled from an airport line for additional screening. Racial profiling they scream. Well yeah, duh. That makes sense to about 99.9% of us. Now they see a political advantage with this UAE deal and suddenly, racial profiling is OK. If Bill Frist comes up with a bill in the Senate to block the UAE deal, it ought to clearly state that profiling “these” people is perfectly OK, and until Mormons start blowing things up, a requirement.

You gotta love George W though. Dealt a duce and an eight from different suits, he’s try to win the hand, raising the stakes at each turn. He’s thrown the veto into the pot, which is akin to laying the deed to the farm on top of a pile of chips in card game being played in the back room at the saloon. Sooner or later, as the dealer turns up a short straight in one of Ws off suits, the president will have to admit his losing hand. He’ll try to get this thing to committee for further “review” where it will quietly go away.

But the good news is that DemoRATS, as hypocritical as it may be and for the first time, are actually admitting that we have an enemy out there that wants to destroy us and they are willing to profile that enemy – at least when it offers them a political advantage.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

UAE running port security is dumb

In a new development the Bush administration has decided to turn over security of the Mexican border to Colombian drug lords. When questioned about the move, Department of Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff argued that just because a large percentage these groups are involved in smuggling drugs doesn’t mean that they are all bad apples. “The screening process, which is classified, is very rigorous. And it worked here” Chertoff claimed.

In the interview, Chertoff let slip that there is an ongoing screening process in G’itmo to identify prisoners there that might be used as Air Marshals. “We can’t keep them there [G’itmo] forever and meaningful employment is one way to get them to stop hating us” Chertoff said. The two new programs in conjunction with the UAE East coast port security deal are apparently aimed at an al Qaeda full employment program being run out of DHS.

Asked about other initiatives the DHS was taking to protect the homeland, Chertoff explained that he had proposed an idea where Iranians would take over control of several of our nuclear power plants. “Let’s just let them see what a pain in the backside these plants can be with all of the federal regulation. I think six weeks of tying to navigate the sea of red tape associated with nuclear power will be enough to dissuade anyone from ever thinking nuclear power is a viable alternative to fossil fuels.”

Asked about the threat North Korea posed Chertoff said, “Look those poor people are starving over there. Maybe, as a good will gesture, we can hire several thousand to come over here under a maintenance contract for Air Force One and other government equipment and facilities.” “Like missile silos?” asked one reporter. “Now you’re just being silly” Chertoff replied.

Dick Cheney needs to show up DHS headquarters toting his shotgun and find out what the hell is going on over there. The UAE running port security is like having Tony Stewart making sure that Matt Kenseth’s car has enough gas to finish the race at the last pit stop of a NASCAR event. DUMB.

Monday, February 20, 2006

George Washington's birthday

Below is a letter to Lex jr's school:

February 20, 2006
Patch Elementary School Principal and School Board,
"George Washington, born February 22, 1732 in Virginia, was a natural leader, instrumental in creating a united nation out of a conglomeration of struggling colonies and territories. The first president of the United States of America is affectionately honored as 'the father of his country.'" www.usemb.se/Holidays/celebrate/george.htl

Federal statute still designates the third Monday in February as “Washington’s Birthday.” Only since the “let’s give all the boys a trophy” crowd showed up has the holiday been diluted into President’s Day. As if Harrison, Polk, Garfield or for that matter any other president, save Lincoln, is worthy of co-equal status with Washington.

Washington held the continental army together through the most trying and difficult times imaginable. He set the tone for the office of President of the United States - first by refusing to be named king and then by voluntarily relinquishing power by stepping down after two terms. That custom remained an unwritten law honored by every US President until FDR, who for some reason considered himself to be indispensable to the nation. Then FDR died, but we as a nation had the temerity to muddle along somehow without him. Washington also provided a steady hand while presiding as President over the Constitutional Convention of 1787. For his contribution to the nation, his leadership during the worst of times and his strength of character, George Washington has proven to be exceptional and worthy of his own day.

When my son Danny came home calling Monday’s holiday President’s Day, I informed him it was Washington’s Birthday. He protested, saying that at school they said it was President’s Day. I told him to tell his school that I could prove it was Washington’s Birthday by federal statute and to ask what proof his school could provide that it was President’s Day.

This is how our culture slips away from us. Not in big obvious chunks, but rather bit by bit in hardly noticeable increments like the sun slips under the horizon at sunset. It starts as blaze of vibrant reds, yellows and oranges. Then it transforms almost imperceptibly to darker hues, then to blues and purples, then to darkness.

Washington is thrown in with mediocrity, Christmas, another Federal and so named holiday, is downgraded to the “non-denominational winter holiday” for fear of offending a class of people wandering perpetually in search of something to claim to be offended about, and as a result our culture bit by bit, almost unnoticed, slips under the horizon.

Respectfully,


Doug Schumick
Copy to Stars and Stripes

Friday, February 17, 2006

About a Navy promotion

Tomorrow I'll be presiding over the promotion of a good navy friend. Below are my prepared remaks about the significance of the event.

Good morning and welcome to Shloss Lichtenstein. I’d like to offer a special welcome to Mary’s mom who has traveled all the way from the States to be with us today. Welcome to Germany and United States European Command, Ma’ma. Welcome as well to all the Navy Captains, Colonels and their families and other distinguished guests, potentates, grandees, dignitaries, celebrities and other VIPs real and imagined here today – that should just about cover the waterfront.

I cannot tell you what a great honor and privilege it is to be standing here. Mary thank you for letting me play a small part in this important day for you and your family. And people say that the Navy and Marine Corps don’t get along. That’s not true, actually, it should be Marines and fill in the blank don’t get along. It really has very little to do with the Navy.

Today, as a former Marine, with an Air Force spouse, presiding over the promotion of a Navy Commander, I am perhaps the most “joint” man in the EUCOM AOR.

I got to tell you though, this presentation has been a lot of hard work. This is my third draft. I know, I know that would be some sort of record at EUCOM where the minimum number of staffing iterations for a document can only be calculated with a super computer, an abacus and a Ouija board.

But let me tell you how this whole thing played out. My first idea for this presentation was a three hour overview of the Peloponnesian War with a 175 power point slides. I figured two-and-a-half hours for the overview, 10 minutes for questions, 5 minutes for Col Mulcahy, 10 minutes for the actual promotion ceremony, and five minutes for Commander Blankenship to thank me for my presentation.

I had planned to use the appointment Lysander as the commander of the Spartan Fleet at Aegospotami (ē"guspo'tumus) in 405 as an allegory for today’s promotion. However, when I approached Commander Blankenship with the completed package, she told me that it was “a bit too much”.

So I went back to the drawing board. I cut the whole thing to the bone. I cut, the Q&A, Col Mulcahy’s remarks, and Commander Blankenship’s thank yous and managed to get it down to 83 power point slides over about an hour and forty five minutes, with two five minutes breaks. If I’d cut the breaks and CDR Blankenship’s promotion we could have been in out in less than an hour and a half.

So, I took the revamped package back to Commander Blankenship. She looked at it and said, “Look, Schumick, no power point. No Peloponnesian War. No Lysander. Make it brief, inspiring, succinct, humorous, to the point, interesting, pithy, informative and most of all short.” She wrapped up her commander’s guidance with this warning, “If you go 1 second over 15 minutes, expect an iron chandelier to fall on your head.” (Look up) Hmm Not likely, but she can be very direct.

Hey it’s her promotion. So, I’ve revamped the whole thing for today. But don’t worry. As many of you might know, my wife, Diana is retiring in the spring and I plan to use the whole Peloponnesian War thing and Lysander’s death at Boeotia (bee-OH-shu) in 395 as an allegory for retirement. So, you’ve got that to look forward to. It’ll be a beautiful thing.

OK start the clock. We’ve gathered here today for the promotion of Commander Blankenship. Benefits of promotion are many and varied and I’ve boiled them down 346. I’d planned to address each separately but hey you don’t have to hit me over the head more than three or four times to make a point. So, I’ve fit them all into four broad categories: money, power, entitlements and responsibility.

First, and least important, money
Whenever I think of military pay, I’m reminded of a conversation between a young Marine and a GySgt. When the young Marine complained to the legendary GySgt Hermann, the Marine said, “Gy I don’t make enough money to do all that stuff you’re making me do.” The Hermannator, as he was known in the battalion, was unimpressed with the complaint, he told the youngster, “Hey, if you joined the Marine Corps for the money, you really fouled up. Now get busy before the Colonel comes down here and sees you sitting around and thinks that we don’t have enough to do around here.”

In 1985, when Mary Blankenship walked into the Brooklyn Center, Minnesota Naval recruiting office at the tender age of – uh what was it? Oh never mind - base pay for an E-1 was a whopping $573.60 a month - after four months, that figure skyrocketed to the princely sum of $640.20 a month.

When Mary Blankenship broke the news to her family and friends that she had enlisted in the US Navy as a Personnelman, “What are you going to do with all that money?” was not among the common questions that they asked her.

Don’t get me wrong, we all want, and need to be paid. That’s how we provide for ourselves and our families. But that is not the principal reason why you all do what you do. When some one joins the armed forces there is a reason that we commonly say that they have joined the “service”. We say that they have joined the service, because that’s what it is – service – service to one’s country.

Anyone who thinks people join the military for the money, consider this. 2.2 million Active duty and reserve Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines are presently serving their country in the armed forces. Most of these patriots have volunteered to leave all that is dear to them, their home, their family, and their friends at a moment’s notice. They have volunteered to travel around the world into any clime or place, foregoing most of life’s creature comforts. They may be required sail, march or fly toward the sound of the cannon where incredible dangers await them. The overwhelming majority of those 2.2 million do all of that for less than $20,000 a year in base pay.

But with promotion comes a modest pay increase. Congratulations Commander Blankenship, your monthly pay raise, as a result of this promotion, will be greater than your total monthly base pay when you first enlisted in the Navy in 1985.

Let’s put this pay thing into perspective though. On January 24th, 2005 Army Sergeant Michael Carlson a fellow Minnesotan from St. Paul, was killed in Iraq. He was 22 years old. As part of a high school writing assignment his senior year at Cretin High School, Michael wrote a beautiful and moving piece about his life, his family and his country. That piece was published in the Wall Street Journal on the Memorial Day after his death. In it Michael wrote this:

"When I am on my deathbed, what am I going to look back on? Will it be thirty years of fighting crime and protecting the country from all enemies, foreign and domestic? I want my life to account for something...I only have so much time. I want to be good at life; I want to be known as the best of the best at my job. I want people to need me, to count on me...I want to fight for something, be part of something that is greater than myself. I want to be a soldier..."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what service is all about. Now, let someone try to tell me that this about money.

Next is power.
For some, the main benefit of promotion is that there is now another whole phylum of fools out there that they don’t have to take any nonsense from. Everybody knows the kind. Like, “Oh yes sir, Commander. We can spray paint the grass green for the Admiral’s visit - even though it’s January and 16 degrees outside. Why, no sir. I don’t think that is a silly waste of our last discretionary dollars. No problem. I’ll get right on that.” Sadly that is an event that actually occurred only the service ranks have been changed to protect the idiot, I mean the innocent.

As a prior enlisted sailor Commander Blankenship has seen both sides of power. While attending Boot Camp in Orlando FL and at “A” School in Meridian, MS, every minute of her life was controlled by Chiefs and the Petty Officers. But soon after those life altering experiences, it was the rank grabbing Petty Officer Blankenship reporting sober alert and fit for duty (and who knows, maybe she was) and doing her part for the Personnel Support Detachment at the Naval Training Center in San Diego, California.

To me power boils down to leadership. One of the most important things a leader does is to set the priorities. Good leaders know that you can have only one number one priority. For those incapable of prioritizing activities, everything becomes a number one priority, and as a consequence, nothing is a number one priority.

I worked for Colonel once who kept a plaque on his desk that said, “The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing” all in one word. The Colonel told me that good leadership boils down to three things –
1. Train your subordinates. Give them your guidance and let them execute your current operations and plans.
2. A good leader avoids crises by always looking and planning ahead not micromanaging his current operations.
3. A good leader responds well when the inevitable crisis does arrive by
a. Determining what is happening
b. Determining what is not happening
c. Determining how best to use your power of leadership to influence what’s happening or not happening

We all know there is good power – like Superman – and bad power – like Lex Luther. To a few, promotion means that you have a bit more power to lord over a few more subordinates. Fortunately, most use their power to help subordinates and the unit. No doubt that the leadership over Petty Officer Blankenship fell into the latter category when in 1987 they indorsed her and she was selected for the Naval ROTC program. She was discharged from the Navy in order complete her degree in education at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia where she was enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania NROTC program.

No doubt that after her commission, Commander Blankenship was able to able to correctly identify the “main thing”, set the priorities and manage crises by determining what was happening. What wasn’t and using her power of leadership to affect a positive outcome. In a wide range of billets from:
Automated Data Processing Division Officer at Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron in Rota, Spain
J6 Action Officer at USEUCOM – that was in another life
OIC of a Personnel Det in Stuttgart, Germany
The military’s most demanding duty short of combat as Department head at the Navy Recruiting District, Indianapolis, Indiana,
Haze grey and underway as the Training Officer aboard the USS Kitty Hawk
to her current assignment as an Action Officer with EUCOM J1 Ensign, then Lieutenant, then LCDR Blankenship was able to use the power associated with her offices and provide the leadership for the good of the mission and her people.

So with this promotion comes a bit more power by which Commander Blankenship can exert her leadership for mission accomplishment and the well being of her shipmates.

Then there are the entitlements.
With promotion come a few little perks. An entitlement to a few extra square feet in family housing to pack new things into because you are entitled to a few extra pounds of shipping weight that the movers think that they are entitled to smash beyond recognition, which entitles you to seek compensation from the government. That process entitles you to frustration which entitles you to your first ulcer and old age before the transportation office informs you that they’ve lost your DD form whatever and which entitles you begin the entire process over again.

You might be entitled to an additional Sideboy or two when piped aboard ship or into the mess. What AN HONOR!

Promotion may entitle you to attend a new service school which entitles you to uproot your family twice in less than a year. No doubt one of the greatest year’s of her life was when Commander Blankenship attended the Manpower Systems Analysis Program at the Naval Postgraduate School at Ahh, Monterey, California. What a beautiful place. Now that’s an entitlement.

As an 0-5 you’ll be entitled to an additional 3 square feet on your next at sea assignment. You’ll move up from 12 to 15 square feet to stow your entitled 350 pounds of personal gear for a six month deployment. What a deal.

Your promotion may entitle you to a parking space – hey at your next assignment not here - but you’ll soon discover that the parking lot is empty when you arrive in the morning and leave at night because your new assignment entitles you to come in early and stay late and because you’re the first in and last to leave you don’t really need an assigned parking space because there is nobody using the parking lot when you come and go anyway.

But hey, the little extra weight entitlement will entitle you to make one more pottery shopping trip to Poland or antiquing excursion into Belgium.

The last benefit of promotion is Responsibility.
That is what this promotion is all about - responsibility. Even as a Marine I did not have an appreciation for the difference in responsibility between naval line officers and other military officers until sometime in the early 1990s when I picked up The Price of Admiralty by the noted British military historian and author John Keegan.

In that book Keegan notes that naval line officers have always been given tremendous responsibility in the form broad mission statements with a minimum of guidance or restraints. And that’s how our Navy still raises and prepares its officers today. It’s sort of like Marines say, “every Marine a rifleman”, the Navy says “every officer an officer of the line.” It prepares them to take the initiative. It prepares them to take action. The Navy requires that its leadership identify problems and fix them and get it done before the Captain or Admiral have to get involved.

In today’s terms, an Air Force officer might be given a specific mission to bomb a specific target. Then that officer will be given specific guidance how to bomb the specific target. An Air Force mission might read:
Mission Alpha will depart airfield B wheels up at 180357.
Aircraft C will be armed with ordinance D, E & F etc, etc.
The mission will follow a detailed flight plan outlining routs refueling schedule, bombs on target everything will be carefully planned up to and including the debriefing which occurs the next morning at the starters shack at the base’s third and best golf course. They will execute the mission flawlessly.

In the Army, units will be given a specific mission to take a specific hill and while a bit less detailed than in the Air Force the Army will instruct the unit when to get up, when to eat, and when move out. They will be directed how much ammo and how much chow to carry, what route to move on, what phase line to cross when, what units are on the right and left and most important what those unit’s commander’s lineal numbers are for the purpose of seniority etc. etc. The mission will be carefully choreographed up to and including the debriefing on the objective. They too will execute the mission flawlessly.

In the Marine Corps a Lieutenant Colonel is likely to get a very specific mission with very general guidance in the form of a radio call from the Regimental CO that will go something like, “you better get your battalion up that hill by noon and look good doing it of I’ll find someone who can. Debriefing will be at the nearest local tavern.” The battalion will maneuver to secure the tavern first and then execute the mission flawlessly.

While its sister services deal in specific missions with specific guidance, our Navy deals in very broad missions in very general terms. In contrast with the missions of its sister services, a Navy mission might read, Secure the Pacific sea channels. Protect and support US interests as appropriate. Report success as necessary. All other details are left to the Captain.

Ok, ok, I’ve over simplified the whole process to make Keegan’s point. We all know that you’d never get the Marines out of the tavern for the follow-on attack. I’m not here to offend the other services, but I think you get Keegan’s central theme about the Navy and what the Navy expects from its officers.

And that’s why this promotion today is important. The US Navy is saying to Commander Blankenship, “by your past performance you have demonstrated an ability to shoulder a greater load. Your Navy trusts you. Your Navy trusts your leadership. Your Navy trusts your professional acumen and we are looking forward to greater things from you.” This promotion is all about Commander Blankenship’s ability to do bigger and better things for the Navy and this country.

But it’s even larger than that, if that’s possible. I’d remiss if I didn’t mention that it’s not just the Navy that benefits from this fine Navy family. It’s the entire community. We all know about Commander Blankenship’s excellence at work. Be it delicately insulting each and everyone of us at the annual Christmas party or wrestling a difficult staffing package to the ground she has excelled.

What may not be so well known are the contributions Mary and Joe make to our community. These are the kind of people that make a community go. While others are hanging back, Mary and Joe are stepping up - taking responsibility. Whether leading the local Scout pack of 80+ screaming boys as the Committee Chairperson, or leading 16 screaming fourth and fifth graders as a Scout Den Leader, coaching a youth basketball team, tutoring elementary kids, mentoring the school yearbook staff or teaching Catechism class on Sunday, Mary and Joe find the time to get involved and make things happen for the benefit for everyone. Our community is a much better place because of Mary and Joe and we thank you for that service as well.

So congratulations to Commander Blankenship, and Mary’s mother – how proud you must be of your daughter and this moment. Did you ever envision a moment like this in 1985? Congratulations to Joe, Andrew and Michael who by their love and sacrifice in sharing their wife and mom with the US Navy are key players in this promotion as well. This is not only a great day for the US Navy that will be getting more service from a fine officer, it’s a special day for the whole family and it’s a grand day for our entire community.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Where's the outrage?

While our alert American media and loyal opposition for the sake of opposition party hounds Dick Cheney about an accidnet that will not affect any American’s life - other than the two principals and their families, the world remains awash with real dangers that go unreported. Our heroes in the MSM by-and-large won’t print the cartoons that have caused such a stir among Islamo-terror-fascists looking for an excuse to practice their trade. But as of a couple of days ago the MSM has breathed new life into the Abu Ghraib story. They are now publishing un-before publicized pictures which are sure to put Americans at risk in war zones but unlike printing the cartoons are unlikely to expose the cowards in the MSM to any problems with the ITF.

AF Bro asks the question, why aren’t “mainstream” Muslims screaming? AF Bro sends:

“We wake up this morning to see video on CNN showing rampaging Muslims around the world. In Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific Rim ... Muslim Mobs spreading mayhem. It seems that these mighty mad Muslims are rioting and firing their ever-present AK-47s into the air because of cartoons.

“Yup ...this latest epidemic of Muslim outrage comes to us because some newspapers in Norway and Denmark published some cartoons depicting Mohammed....in one of them as having a turban that looks like a bomb.

“Muslim outrage huh. OK ... let's do a little historical review. Just some lowlights:

“a.. Muslims fly commercial airliners into buildings in New York City. No Muslim outrage.

“b.. Muslim officials block the exit where school girls are trying to escape a burning building because their faces were exposed. No Muslim outrage.

“c.. Muslims cut off the heads of three teenaged girls on their way to a Christian school in Indonesia. No Muslim outrage.

“d.. Muslims murder teachers trying to teach Muslim children in Iraq. No Muslim outrage.

“e.. Muslims murder over 80 tourists with car bombs outside cafes and hotels in Egypt. No Muslim outrage.

“f.. A Muslim attacks a missionary children's school in India. Kills six. No Muslim outrage.

“g.. Muslims slaughter hundreds of children and teachers in Beslan, Russia. Muslims shoot children in the back. No Muslim outrage.

“h.. Let's go way back. Muslims kidnap and kill athletes at the Munich Summer Olympics. No Muslim outrage.

“i.. Muslims fire rocket-propelled grenades into schools full of children in Israel. No Muslim outrage.

“j.. Muslims murder more than 50 commuters in attacks on London subways and busses. Over 700 are injured. No Muslim outrage.

“k.. Muslims massacre dozens of innocents at a Passover Seder. No Muslim outrage.

“l.. Muslims murder innocent vacationers in Bali. No Muslim outrage.

“m.. Muslim newspapers publish anti-Semitic cartoons. No Muslim outrage.

“n.. Muslims are involved, on one side or the other, in almost every one of the 125+ shooting wars around the world. No Muslim outrage.

“o.. Muslims beat the charred bodies of Western civilians with their shoes, then hang them from a bridge. No Muslim outrage.

“p.. Newspapers in Denmark and Norway publish cartoons depicting Mohammed. Muslims are outraged.

“Dead children. Dead tourists. Dead teachers. Dead doctors and nurses. Death, destruction and mayhem around the world at the hands of Muslims .. no Muslim outrage ... but publish a cartoon depicting Mohammed with a bomb for a turban and all hell breaks loose.

“Get real. This isn't about cartoons. Muslims are rampaging and burning flags....looking for Europeans to kidnap....threatening innkeepers and generally raising holy Muslim hell NOT because of a cartoon. They're outraged because it is part of the Islamic jihadist culture to be outraged.

“They don't need a reason. THEY JUST NEED AN EXCUSE. Wandering around, destroying property, murdering children, firing guns into the air and feigning outrage over the slightest perceived insult is to a jihadist what tailgating is to a Steeler's fan.
“We know and understand that these bloodthirsty murderers do not represent the majority of the world's Muslims. BUT WHEN WILL THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD'S MUSLIMS BECOME OUTRAGED? When will THEY take to the streets to express their outrage at the radicals who are making their religion the object of worldwide hatred and ridicule?

“Islamic writer Salman Rushdie wrote of these silent Muslims in a New York Times article three years ago. "As their ancient, deeply civilized culture of love, art and philosophical reflection is hijacked by paranoiacs, racists, liars, male supremacists, tyrants, fanatics and violence junkies, why are they not screaming?"

“And I pass the question on. Why indeed are they not screaming?”

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

If it's so secret, why do we all know about it?

Kept hidden from knowledge or view; concealed. That’s the definition of a secret. What in that definition applies to Vice President Cheney’s hunting accident? The accident happened in an open field in front of probably more than ten people. The shooting was reported to the local police and a local newspaper. The injured man was admitted to a public hospital.

Yet Scrawny, heap big Indian wompum, Reid used the occasion of the accident to proclaim that President Bush’s is "the most secretive administration in modern history." Hey Harry, here’s hint, it isn’t a secret if it’s on the front page of every newspaper for two days.

So let’s put this into perspective. Here’s an administration that can’t keep a key NSA program on the war on terror a secret. They can’t keep certain techniques used to interrogate al Qaeda prisoners a secret. They can’t keep the locations of certain prisons where we keep the worst of the worst of al Qaeda a secret. But because the VP has a very public hunting accident but doesn’t talk to the press about it for 20 hours, the King of Indian Bingo, Harry Reid claims that this is the most secretive administration ever. Very odd Harry.

The DemoRATS are feeding off of an incredulous MSM that is outraged that the White House and/or the VP’s office didn’t spoon feed them the story. After all, the accident happened on a weekend, in Texas and outdoors in a rancher’s field. OOoooo, you can’t expect one of us to give up our weekend and actually go on a trip like that to report what happens. We might soil our Italian shoes. We’ll go to our parties, exclusive to anybody that isn’t just like us, and if anything happens you call – and right away – and we’ll rip you when we report the news you give us.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Dems confident of beating Bush in '08

I’ve been watching with amusement as the MSM harps continually on the president’s anemic job approval. One would think, given the numbers, somewhere between 39-42%, President Bush would just give up now and, like so European governments, call for new elections.

It’s over – right? OK, OK except for Alito, and the next SC appointment it’s over - right? OK, OK except for making the Dems look like the political backtracking opportunist that they are on the NSA thing it’s over – right? OK, OK except resuscitating the Patriot Act which we all know was “killed” by Harry Reid, it’s over – right? OK, OK except for reigning in Iran it’s over - right? OK, OK except for getting a permanent tax cut it’s over - right? OK, OK except for reforming the UN it’s over – right? OK, OK it ain’t over.

What the Dems and their propaganda arm in the MSM have yet to figure out is that George Bush is beating them on every issue in spite of his “anemic” job approval numbers. What does it say about how powerless the Dems are when they can’t beat a weakened president? Even funnier is that the Dems and MSM haven’t realized that George Bush isn’t running for anything any more. The Dems and the MSM seem to be licking their chops at the opportunity to finally beat GWB in ’08. Hey guys – HE’S NOT RUNNING!

A couple of comparisons on Cheney’s accident:

With Ted, I didn’t know Mary Jo was back there, Kennedy
Cheney was sober.
More people have still died in the back seat of Ted Kennedy’s car than have been killed while hunting with the VP – even if the VP shoots them once.
The VP notified police that an accident occurred.
The VP rendered aid to his victim.

With John, I put myself in for a Bronze Star for shooting an unarmed wounded man in the back, Kerry:
Cheney shot his victim in the face.
Cheney’s victim was armed.
Cheney’s victim was in otherwise good health before the shooting.

Monday, February 13, 2006

What's wrong with Wal-Mart?

I was at the Military exchange the other day buying a t-shirt. As I strolled up to the check out, two of the Army and Air Force Exchange System’s (AAFES) finest were deep in conversation about how bad AAFES was as an employer. On and on they went as I stood there with my one purchase. Finally one of the complainers broke away from the discussion long enough to notice me and stumble through the check out process while still complaining with her co-worker.

Sick of the whole discussion, I interjected, “When did you two get drafted?” All I got were two “deer in the head lights” looks. I followed up, “You volunteered right? Nobody is forcing you to work here right?” “Well this is Germany and my German ain’t so good” complained the overweight man leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee. “How long have you been here?” I asked him. The man sensing a set up moved on to compare AAFES to Wal-Mart. “They’re just like Wal-Mart, all they care about is profit” he whined. “That’s ridiculous" I pointed out that AAFES’ profit is limited by law and even that bit of profit has to be turned back to the services in the form of Moral Welfare Recreation.”

Hammered again by his own ignorance the doof continued, “I’m talking about the way they treat people. It’s just like Wal-Mart.” “Oh that Wal-Mart." I laughed, "You mean the largest employer and retailer in America. All they do is offer people everything they want at the lowest possible price. That Wal-Mart?” “Well they don’t treat their people very good” the man continued to complain. The woman, seeing where the conversation was going, had stopped talking by now. I asked “Well how can Wal-Mart be the largest employer in America if they don’t treat their people very well?” “There ain’t no other jobs” the man stated with certainty. "Nonsense" I told him “unemployment is less than 5%, which is near capacity. It would follow that there are plenty of jobs for people who want to work.”

My t-shirt paid for and bagged, my points made, I left the two employees of the month with following thought, “Take control of your lives. If you’re not happy working here, get another job. But you shouldn’t be trashing your employer in front of the customers.”

I thought this experience was just another of those little oddities in life until I ran across this, “’Wal-Mart is the poster child for the worst in corporate behavior,’ U.S. director Robert Greenwald said in an interview after his film, ‘Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price’, screened to a large and appreciative audience.”

Because Wal-Mart is a large successful, non-union American company it is being targeted for destruction by anti-American, anti-capitalist dopes like Robert Greenwald. If successful the only thing that will be accomplished by Greenwald and company will be that the very people they purport to champion – the little guy - will have to pay more for the things that they need. If you don't like Wal-Mart, the answer is simple, don't work or shop there.

Friday, February 10, 2006

The president never calls anymore

Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa said Thursday he was “blindsided” by President Bush's announcement of new details on a purported 2002 hijacking plot aimed at a downtown skyscraper. White House Mayors’ Liaison Villaraigosa went on to declare “communication with my White House bosses is nonexistent. Nobody cleared that or anything else on the president’s schedule with me.”

Apparently President Bush recently appointed Villaraigosa to his new post as White House Mayor’s Liaison. Bush, in an unexpected move, then elevated that position to cabinet level, leaving out the required Senate hearings for a cabinet level officer. Bush never even bothered to tell the American people that Villaraigosa’s new position as Mayor’s White House Liaison even existed.

Canal Winchester, Ohio Mayor and Deputy White House Mayor’s Liaison, Harry Krause said, “I never even knowed the president was supposed to call. But he ain’t never called here neither.”

Secretary Villaraigosa went on to say that “the whole problem could be solved by shifting more of Mr. & Mrs. America’s federal tax dollars to the cities in general and Los Angeles in particular.” Mayor’s Liaison Villaraigosa went on to note how well spent federal money averted what could have been a disaster in New Orleans. “Imagine if the federal government hadn’t had provided billions of dollars to build those levies, people would have never moved into that part of the city that is 7’ below sea level” Villaraigosa said.

The Secretary ended with plea to president, “Hey just give me a call every now then.”
Lex called the White House for comment. A presidential spokesman told me that President Bush has promised to spend his last three years in office calling every mayor in the nation. The president couldn’t come to the phone right then because he was talking to Mayor Quimby of Springfield, uh hmmm, hey wait a minute, what state do the Simpsons live in anyway?

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

President Malaise take shot at GWB

Failed former President Jimmy Carter used the occasion of Correta Scott King’s funeral to take a swing at President Bush. As President “Desert One” talked about the Kings, the Georgian peaNUT said: "It was difficult for them then personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretaps" but Mr. Iranian hostage crisis never mentioned that it was DemoRAT icons Jack and Bobby Kennedy who were responsible for the wiretaps. Reminiscent of the Wellstone memorial, the crowd cheered Jimmy the Dope’s poke at Bush, who is under fire for the not so secret anymore wiretapping program he ordered after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Not satisfied to have made a fool of himself just once, Fidel Castro’s buddy just kept talking and said Hurricane Katrina showed that all are not yet equal in America. "We only have to recall the color of the faces of those in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi…Those who were most devastated by [Hurricane] Katrina know that there are not yet equal opportunities for all Americans. It is our responsibility to continue their crusade."

So, Jimmy, if you’re a third-world dictator and need the cover of an election I’d be happy to certify it as free and fair, Carter would have us believe that President Bush in his daily meeting with God, asked the Almighty to have a hurricane hit the gulf coast but only flood minority areas. Say it’s all true, isn’t Carter calling God a bigot? Wouldn’t a just God tell President Bush, “Look I can do the hurricane thing, but it’ll treat all of nature equally. And I might point out that there are more white people down there than minorities.”

Sadly, Jimmy, cardigan wearing malaise filled, Carter is just another classless pandering DemoRAT.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Oh Boy! A drawing contest!

In an odd move, Iran’s largest selling newspaper announced it was holding a contest on cartoons of the Holocaust. The silly move was apparently in response to the publishing of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed (Hmmm, I wonder. Does the Koran allow the use of the Great Prophet’s name in bloggs?) in European papers.

Well, why is this an odd move? First, Arab newspapers already lampoon Jews, Christians, Europeans and the Holocaust on a daily basis. Having a contest on the subject would be sort of like the MoveOn.org having a contest to lampoon the President of the United States. But wait, MoveOn did have a contest like that. Darn! That would have been the perfect opportunity for NeoCons to take to the streets and burn the DNC to the ground.

I can just hear the editorial board discussions at Iran’s Daily Bomber now.
Abdullah: Vut are vee goooing to do aboot deez cartoons?
Abdul: Let us to publish our oooon cartoons deesrespecting Jews.
Abdullah: Boot, Abdul, vee alreeedy doo dees.
Abdul: Den let’s have a contest.
Abdullah: You one brilliant newsman Abdul. What the prize be? One meeeelon dinars?
Abdul: Naa, da usual 72 virgins. Seems to work for udder tings and don’t cost us nuttin.

The other odd thing about the contest is that it is designed to lampoon Jews for European papers publishing the Mohammed cartoons. Perfect! The newspapers that published the Mohammed cartoons will probably win the contest. Flash to Iran’s largest selling newspaper, if there is anything Europeans have less use for than a bunch crazed, lunatic, harebrained, hypocrite Muslims with a grudges and a bombs, it’s Israel and the Israeli people trying to live in peace in the same neighborhood with a bunch of crazed, lunatic, harebrained, hypocrite Muslims with grudges and bombs. How dare those Israelis.

Europeans, as they are wont to do since America has acted as their protector since the end of WWII, have dawned a cloak of superiority and just wish Israel would stop defending itself against madcap Muslim extremists. After all Europe is incapable of defending itself. Who do these Israelis think they are anyway - America’s friend and here-to-fore the only democracy in the region? Give it up and just go away so the Muslims will quiet themselves, take out our trash and kill us last. It’s hard to enjoy the wine and cheese here in Europe with all of this Middle East turmoil. Can’t the Israelis just go away?

The contest seems a bit misdirected. If I dump my trash in my neighbors front yard, how upset am I going to be if that neighbor collects up my trash, combines it with his trash and dumps it all in the neighbor’s yard across the street – who I really can’t stand? Shouldn’t Iran’s largest selling newspaper be having a contest lampooning European newspapers who published the cartoon in the first place – or would just burning them all to the ground be enough?

Monday, February 06, 2006

Turban Bombers take to the streets

So let me get this straight, according to Islamo-terror-fascists, suicide bombers blowing themselves up on school buses is OK, but a cartoon of Mohammad with a bomb in his turban requires the murder of a priest and destruction of Western embassies.

The killing of the innocent by soulless weasels is fine and dandy, but a cartoon of Allah telling a long line the murderers that he was out virgins is reason enough to murder more innocents.

It’s OK for creepy Muslims daily to print absurdities about Jews and Christians, but if the shoe is on the other foot, it's reason enough to take to the streets and burn and kill everything Western.

For the US government’s part, it’s OK to pay no talent “artists” for works that blaspheme Christendom, but it’s not OK for a foreign news paper to print cartoons that challenge Europe’s hands off approach to anything Muslim, no matter how vile.

If pictures of these whacked out hate-filled psychos taking to the streets in government sponsored violence isn’t enough to shock the West into defending itself, the West deserves pretty much what it gets.

I don’t particularly care for any cartoon that attacks any religion, but the reaction to the Turban Bomb cartoons by Islamo-terror-fascists exposes them as the murdering uncontrollable mob of hypocrites that they are. For Allah’s sake, write a letter to the editor and cancel your subscription like civilized people do.

Totally different subject: What the hell was that song Aaron Neville sang before the Super Bowl? Does anyone else wish that “artists” would just sing the Star Spangled Banner the way it is written?

Friday, February 03, 2006

J. Rockhead's memo to himself on a program he was "in the dark" on

Here is a key quote from President Bush’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.

“It is said that prior to the attacks of September the 11th, our government failed to connect the dots of the conspiracy. We now know that two of the hijackers in the United States placed telephone calls to al Qaeda operatives overseas. But we did not know about their plans until it was too late. So to prevent another attack –- based on authority given to me by the Constitution and by statute -- I have authorized a terrorist surveillance program to aggressively pursue the international communications of suspected al Qaeda operatives and affiliates to and from America. Previous Presidents have used the same constitutional authority I have, and federal courts have approved the use of that authority. Appropriate members of Congress have been kept informed. The terrorist surveillance program has helped prevent terrorist attacks. It remains essential to the security of America. If there are people inside our country who are talking with al Qaeda, we want to know about it, because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again.”

Unfortunately, the program that has helped to prevent further terrorist attacks has been severely damaged and thereby has damaged America’s security. Yesterday, CIA director Porter Goss said exactly that as he testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee. "The damage has been very severe to our capabilities to carry out our mission… I use the words `very severe' intentionally. And I think the evidence will show that," Goss said. He asked that a federal grand jury be empanelled to determine "who is leaking this information."

Goss also noted that not only have the leaks made it difficult for the CIA to gather information on our Islamo-terror-fascists enemy, but they have also made foreign intelligence agencies mistrustful of our CIA. After all, if you cannot trust the spy guys to keep a national security secret, who can you trust?

Because the leaks caused "disruption to our plans, things that we have under way," Goss has “called in the FBI, the Department of Justice.” Goss said, “It is my aim and it is my hope that we will witness a grand jury investigation with reporters present, being asked to reveal who is leaking this information." Hopefully, a few will opt for extended jail sentences.

DemoRATS were running for the tall grass, or is that switch grass? Senator J Rockhead (RAT WV) said, "The president has not only confirmed the existence of the program, he has spoken at length about it repeatedly," while keeping Congress in the dark, said the clueless WV dope.

Hey J, the president only talked about the program AFTER the propaganda arm of the DemoRAT Party and coincidently Islamo-terror-fascists (aka the MSM) exposed the program. How dumb are you anyway?

Next, the president only talked about the program to set the record straight from the distortions about it from nincompoops like, who, oh yeah, YOU. Idiotic “colossal jewels of glittering ignorance” (aka DemoRATS) continue to refer to the program as “domestic spying” - as if the feds are peering over old lady Johnson’s privacy fence to see what she’s growing in her garden. The program, Sen. Rockhead, is targeting international Islamo-terror-fascists.

Last, congress was briefed on the program. You, yourself, wrote a CYA memo on the subject. Given your suspect honesty, the memo was probably written only after the story broke. But given the collective mental acumen of politicians, I’ll give you a pass for claiming that you were never briefed on the program that you supposedly wrote a memo to yourself about. That sadly would be about par for dolts like you.

The good news is that there will be hearing that will expose caterwauling DemoRATS for what they are – a group of “patriotic” Americans more interested in the demise of GWB than the protection of their own country. Let’s vote.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

A tax deductible contribution?

AF Bro sends:

A driver is stuck in a traffic jam on the highway. Nothing is moving. Suddenly a man knocks on the window.

The driver rolls down his window and asks, "What happened?"

"Terrorists have kidnapped Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry,Jesse Jackson, Al Gore and Al Sharpton. They are asking for a $10 million ransom. Otherwise they are going to douse them with gasoline and set them on fire. We are going from car to car, taking up a collection."

The driver asks, "How much is everyone giving, on average?"

"About a gallon."

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

A great contrast for the mid-terms

It was a pretty good speech. George W must have been looking at Lex’s page over the last couple of days. He spoke strongly and passionately about winning the war in Iraq. He correctly identified our enemy as “extreme Islamist”. He noted that we must be weaned from foreign oil.

However, the best part of the whole thing was watching the powerless DemoRATS sit on their hands during such great applause lines as:

“There is no peace in retreat.”
“Fellow citizens, we are in this fight to win, and we are winning!”
"Hindsight alone is not wisdom, and second-guessing is not a strategy."

The president noted that SSgt Dan Clay, a US Marine recently killed in Iraq, knew what honor was, something that has escaped John Murtha and host of other DemoRATS recently. What was Murtha doing during the extended applause for SSgt Clay’s wife and parents? Working the Times crossword? Booing? Practicing the specious argument that he supports the troops but not the mission?

The president offered his most clearly understood explanation of the NSA eavesdropping program to date. As he did so, the camera caught Shrillary sitting with a bucktoothed smile and, except for the jiggling jowls, looking reminiscent of fat Teddy as she shook her head “no” – the current response of DemoRATS for nearly every proposal. Apparently DemoRATS are all for not connecting the dots before the next attack on America.

As the president noted the four year economic expansion as a result tax cuts, the visual was unmistakable. The Republicans were cheering and hooting in the aisles. The DemoRATS sat looking like puny sourpusses wanting to throw an anchor overboard to slow a surging economy lest the president get some measure of credit and begging for a tax increase. After all who better to spend your hard earned money – you or DemoRATS?

Then there was the DemoRAT response. All negative. No solutions. Just a litany of how fouled up America and Americans are. Section 3, Article III of the US Constitution requires that the president, “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient”. I cannot put my finger on that part of the Constitution that states “equal time will be provided for an opposition response.” I’m glad they did it though. It was a great contrast between a party with forward looking ideas and one that has only one idea of its own, remain stagnant by opposing every other idea.